Module 1: Food Choices & Human Health

Question 1

What are the 6 categories of nutrients?

Answer 1

1. Carbohydrates
2. Protein
3. Fats
4. Minerals
5. Vitamins
6. Water

• These nutrients make up the human body and the food we eat.
• How they work together is what makes them important to overall functioning & optimal health.

Question 2

What are phytochemicals?

Answer 2

• Non-nutrient compounds of our food.
• Give taste, aroma, colour, & may even play a role in reducing disease.
• Certain phytochemical have been associated with health benefits (e.g. red wine), however isolated chemicals don’t have the same health benefits as say eating a whole blueberry (fibre, vitamins, minerals etc.)
• Phytochemical foods contain substances such as flavonoids & antioxidants.

Question 3

What functions do nutrients play in the body?

Answer 3

-Nutrients are required for our bodies to function properly. They do the following:

1. Provide energy
2. Supply building materials
3. Contribute to maintenance & repair
4. Support & growth

Question 4

What are essential nutrients? What are their functions?

Answer 4

• Essential nutrients are nutrients that the body either cannot make, or cannot make fast enough, from other raw materials. As a result, they need to be obtained from food or deficiencies will occur.
• You don’t need a lot of these nutrients
• Your body can store certain essential nutrients (e.g. fat soluble fibre)

Question 5

Why are foods fortified?

Answer 5

-Most food that is processed is fortified with essential nutrients. Whole foods contain these essential nutrients naturally.

Question 6

Should you supplement essential nutrients?

Answer 6

-Generally you do not need to take supplements (unless you have a preexisting health condition such as cystic fibrosis, or IBS etc, that impacts your ability to absorb and digest food.)

Question 7

What is an elemental diet?

Answer 7

• Tube or vein feed diet
• Composed of the nutrients that the body needs in a form that is easily assimilated into the body. They receive purified nutrients in the exact amount it is determined to need.

Question 8

What would cause the digestive organs to atrophy? How does this affect absorption of nutrients?

Answer 8

-Elemental diets can causes this:

• Without normal food consumption, the digestive organs will atrophy (shrink in size) due to a lack of digestive tract stimulation. This decreases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients & may weaken the body’s defence against certain infections.
• Marketed as “meal replacers.”
• Does not provide all of the benefits of food.

Question 9

What does it mean to be malnourished?

Answer 9

• Malnutrition: Not having enough or having too much of a nutrient. This can affect your health not just today but 20,30, 40+ yrs from now.
• Impact of your diet will also be affected by your genetic background
• Whole foods & natural ways of eating thrives!
• Purified diets simply survive!

Question 10

Explain how foods contain more than just nutrients:

Answer 10

-The intestine responds to food by releasing hormones that send messages to the brain. The eater then experiences a feeling of satisfaction. (physical/emotional comfort)

Question 11

What are the 3 energy-yielding nutrients? How much energy do they yield.

Answer 11

• Carbs (4 Cal/g), Fat (9 Cal/g), & Protein (4 Cal/g)

- By knowing this, you can make sure that you are meeting your energy needs, without consuming too many Calories.

Question 12

How do you figure out how many Calories come from a particular nutrient?

Answer 12

-Multiply the number of Calories per gram by the number of total grams.

e.g.
100g of cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast has 31g of protein.

4Cal/g x 31g = 124 Calories.

Question 13

What equates a balanced diet? What are the total daily Calories recommendations for protein, fats, & carbs?

Answer 13

• Nutritional health doesn’t depend on the individual foods you choose, but rather the foods you combine into meals, & the meals you eat over days.
• Nutrients that provide energy in our diets:
• 10-15% total daily Cals are from protein
• 30% or less Cals are from fats (should be unsaturated)
• 45-65% Cals are from carbs (complex rather than simple sugars)

Question 14

Nutritional genomics:

Answer 14

-The actual risk of disease results from the interplay between the genes you inherit & the diet & other lifestyle choices you make.

Question 15

The science of nutrition:

Answer 15

-Observation-Hypothesis-Experiment-Possible Theory

Question 16

How a scientific theory is developed:

Answer 16

• If the result from repeated experiments supports the hypothesis, a theory can be developed.
• A single experiment is not enough to develop a theory
• A theory can challenged

Question 17

Evaluating sources: What are some key points to look for when reading about nutrition in the new or the media?

Answer 17

-Remember these key points when you read about nutrition in the news or media:

• The study should be published in a peer-reviewed journal
• The news report should state the purpose of the study & describe the research method
• The report should clearly define subjects of the study
• Valid reports describe previous research & put current research into proper context
• Ask yourself if the study makes commonness

Question 18

What are the different types of research? What is the placebo effect?

Answer 18

Human studies:
1. Epidemiological Studies (observational studies)-Observe a population over time. Can draw relationships between two factors, but can’t determine if one caused the other vice versa.

2. Case Control Studies (type of epidemiological study)-based on observation, not intervention. Case who have a condition of interest are compared to cases who do not have the condition.
3. Clinical Trials- Tightly controlled experiments in which an intervention is given to determine the effect on a certain disease or health condition. (experiment vs control groups)

Basic Laboratory Research
1. Laboratory Animal Studies- Dietary factors are controlled & unusual amounts & combos can be introduced, enabling scientists to test biological effects relating to the whole system e.g. cancer

2. Tissue Cultural Studies- Dietary factors & nutrients are supplied directly to cells to determine whether or not they influence biological activities related to the development of progression of cancer (for e.g.)

Nutritional monitoring surveys- Make it possible for researchers to assess the nutrient status, health indicators, & dietary intake of the Canadian population.

Placebo Effect: Occurs when people experience beneficial effect because they believe the “treatment” will work.